Month: March 2017

The NSA, the CIA, the Patriot Act… all provide spying services, but what you might not know is that they can be spying on YOU. In this podcast, we discuss the newest Wikileaks documents and what the government is doing behind closed doors. We also discuss some things that people have done to mitigate this issue.Check out this episode!

Social media posts and water cooler discussions have been ablaze this week (pun intended) over an issue involving a quote from a 24-year-old blonde woman. The Blaze network’s Tomi Lahren went on the always-hostile show, “The View,” last week to talk to the (mostly ultra-liberal) panel about her life. Her interview went fairly well, with many on the panel agreeing and disagreeing on various discussion topics – except uber-liberal Joy Behar, who basically chose to disagree with every word out of Tomi’s mouth. That was until the following exchange occurred, prompted by co-host Sunny Hostin:

Sunny: “You call yourself a conservative Republican and a constitutional conservative, but you also consider yourself Pro-Choice.”

Tomi: “I’m Pro-Choice and here’s why: I love the constitution. I’m someone that’s for limited government, and I can’t sit here and be a hypocrite and say I’m for limited government. But, I think the government should not decide what women do with their bodies.” She went on to say, “I’m for limited government. So, you can stay out of my guns, and you can stay out of my body, as well.”

Interestingly enough, her revelation on “The View” bought her a week of unpaid vacation in the form of a suspension from her TV show “Tomi” at the conservative media outlet, The Blaze. While I have issues with Tomi’s position – that’s a whole other turkey to fry in a future post – I will say this: One can be on the side of limited government while also being on the side of anti-murder. There are those little words IN the Constitution talking about your right to “LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Look for more on limited government in a blog coming soon!

My issue for this post is with The Blaze and their problem of allowing free speech and opinions. They are a private news outlet and have every right to censor their programs as they see fit. On the same token, they forfeit so much credibility because they won’t allow one of their news personalities on air for appearing to have a differing opinion on one of the major topics.

Glenn Beck, founder of The Blaze network, commented on the issue with Tomi this week by saying that her opposing position on abortion was not what caused her current work trouble, but that it was likely due to her quick and recent change of opinion on the topic. If Glenn Beck pulled the proverbial plug on Tomi’s show this week for either of these reasons, he did the wrong thing. You don’t punish someone for having a different viewpoint than you. You don’t punish someone for deciding their viewpoint has changed. This comes across to the general public that, “If you work at The Blaze and don’t share the boss’s political view, you are gonna get the ax!” I don’t think any of us want to tune into a media outlet that subliminally tells their hosts how they should think and what topics they can and cannot have personal opinions, even if they have every right to do so.

If her opinions are not in accordance with something in her contract, then, by all means, let her go for breach of contract. I believe we are coming to the end of the “Tomi” show era at The Blaze, anyway. According to a DailyMail article, sources inside and outside of the organization say that there is a lot of tension between Tomi and many co-workers at The Blaze, so she likely won’t be back after her contract expires in September.

I think the silence from The Blaze is probably the worst of all. This is a hot button topic this week, and all they are doing by not commenting on the suspension is making themselves look worse. Tomi hasn’t come out and told her story, likely due to legal issues specified in her contract. Until someone does speak about it, we are only left to speculate.

Glenn Beck has made some vague comments on his Twitter feed and barely addressed the situation on his radio show this week, but an in-depth analysis of it all doesn’t give you much information. Probably, his most pointed tweet about the issue was in reply to someone calling the networks decision to suspend her a “big mistake”.

@GlennBeck: No, our greatest asset is a team of people who actually do their homework, are intellectually rigorous and honest. Principles and integrity

It appears that Beck’s biggest issue with Tomi is that he feels that she is not forging her political opinions through a thorough thought process but through social media. He was quoted as saying:

“It takes intellectual honesty, and it takes a willingness to do more than just read Twitter or Facebook to get your news and your political opinions…”

One would take this to imply she was suspended because someone thought her newly founded opinion on the pro-choice movement was as a result of someone’s Facebook or Twitter post. Since we haven’t heard much from The Blaze, that is about all we can speculate at this time.

Beck has had many instances in his career where he felt he was silenced because of his opinions. Such are the reasons he went out and started his own media company, so that he could do and say what he wants. The irony here is that the tables have turned, and he seems to be pulling the same stunt that he was so strongly against not so very long ago. The best thing he could do now to save face would be to bring Tomi on to his show and lay it all out in the open, but I’m not going to hold my breath on that one.

Lately, Facebook has been riddled with opinions on the new healthcare replacement bill, from here on out referred to as the AHCA (American Health Care Act). The topic brings out a lot of passion on both sides of the political aisle—the left side loves the current state and doesn’t want to change it, while the right side wants to make big changes, even completely repealing and starting over. This blog post is not about which side is right and wrong, because I think the answer is a bipartisan solution with give and take on either side; however, this post is about some of the recent op-eds I have seen shared on my timeline.

The most glaring article that has been shared was titled, “And Jesus Said unto Paul of Ryan …” a written in a NY Times op-ed. In this article, the author takes quotes from Jesus in the New Testament and lays them out as a retort to the “opinions of Speaker Paul Ryan.” My first issue with this article is that a vast majority of the words attributed to Speaker Ryan are downright falsehoods, and most of the rest are a stretch of his words and misapplication thereof. Now, before I get on to the meat of the disagreement, I must first say that Paul Ryan is an imperfect man. He has said and done things that I do not agree with personally or politically. The same goes for every single person on this planet, from my family, to my friends, to my pastor. “…There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Rom 3:10 NIV). “No one is good—except God alone.” (Mark 10:18).

A brief example of some of the quotes “attributed” to Speaker Ryan include: (to Jesus) “Don’t go socialist on me again,”“Let me teach you about love, Jesus — tough love!” and “Jesus! You don’t have time. We have a cocktail party fund-raiser in the temple.”

Now, onto the meat of the issue. The posts that have shared this article, amongst others, take the stance that the Bible calls us to care for the poor, sick, widowed, etc., and I completely agree with that point. Scripture is filled with caring for the poor… Luke 4:18, Matthew 5:3, Luke 6:20, Matthew 25:45, and many others. Our job is to take care of the poor, the widowed, and the sick, but the key word in that is OUR. It is not the government’s job. In all my days of studying the Bible, I have not found a verse that tells me that government is responsible for providing those services. I have, however, found that it is the job of the church to care for those people. James 1:27: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”

So, the premise that God calls the government to provide for the orphans and the widows and the sick and the poor is not supported by Scripture. The body of Christ (the Church) is to support them, lift them up, and help provide for them. Has the church done its job well? I would say no, but I also see no provision in Scripture that supports a government takeover if the church doesn’t fulfill its duties.

Secondly, this notion that it is somehow religious and Biblical to support or reject support for a government bill that changes how healthcare is run in this country is incongruous. These are the same people on the left side of the aisle that cry out for a woman’s right to murder her unborn child or for the legalization of a sin that is addressed multiple times in Scripture. You cannot try to twist the Bible to say what you want it to say and use it against people of faith, while at the same time ignore Its words when it comes to your own worldview and political positions. Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

In summary, we, the Church, are called to help with the needs of the needy. We have a responsibility to do this ONLY as a church body, not as a governing body. Scripture sets up a separation of responsibilities to the family, the church, and the government, and the government isn’t involved in the direct administration of healthcare. Now, if you want to take a pure secular approach to healthcare, then, by all means, that discussion can happen, but don’t wag your finger at me and twist Christ’s words to fit your own narrative, while ignoring other words that don’t fit your narrative. You can’t have it both ways.

Jason – Three Patriots

a https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/opinion/and-jesus-said-unto-paul-of-ryan.html?smid=nytcore-ipad-share&smprod=nytcore-ipad&_r=0

It is no secret that the “One Nation Under God” has turned its back on the very God and His principles set forth in the founding of our nation. Focusing on healthcare, I too believe it is the responsibility of the Church, NOT the government to provide aid. Instead of asking for help from the government, expanding their ever growing reach, seek help from your local church, start a Samaritan clinic, start a non-profit to help with the rising costs of healthcare. DO SOMETHING! It is up to us, as citizens of this nation to care for each other, but we have forgotten that. The government has become so big and so over-reaching that it has brain washed its citizens to believe that they themselves cannot make a difference or to have individual thoughts. Instead, they rely on the government to come to the rescue or to do their thinking for them. WAKE UP and be the change.

What is the state of the nation? Today, that question is somewhat loaded and may vary depending on who you ask. However, no matter whom you ask I would argue that everyone would agree that the nation is divided now more than ever in history and recent polls would suggest the same. In fact, a PEW Research study has shown that over the past 4 years republicans have become more republican and democrats have become more democratic meaning that liberals now lean more left than in previous years and republicans leaning more right than in previous years. [1] Perhaps more alarming than the simple division in right and left ideology is the ever increasing division in minority (race, gender, color, and beliefs) within the nation and the side in which they fall on the political spectrum. The division is leading close and close to a revolution. At the beginning of the creation of the Three Patriots, I once stated, and still believe to this day, that 1 of two things will have to happen to save this nation – rapture or revolution. I’m hoping for rapture! Some may say this is a crazy summation, but let’s look at history. Throughout history, revolution has been caused by the division of economic status, change in leadership, loss of religious freedom and loss of trust in government. Our own American Revolution was brought about as a result of the British government imposing taxes to cover their own mishandling of funds. Sound familiar? The American Civil War was brought on by the combination of differences of political ideology, cultures, and government regulations. Again, sound familiar? The fact is that the nation is tip-toeing a thin line. The citizens are becoming restless and divided, the states are becoming restless, the media has stopped doing its job, the government is becoming more divided and the current plan is to use the government to make more change… Does that sound like a good idea? This nation was built on a constitution BY the people FOR the people and the people (you and I) are the only ones that are going to change this nation. It’s time to put our differences aside and stand for something TOGETHER. In a nation that has “dumbed down” our young population with Common core and lets everyone pretend the nation is one big kindergarten class where you can play dress up and make believe with no consequences…I don’t know if that can happen. Let’s remember some truths though, Titus 3:9-11 states “But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. (ESV) and Mark 3:24, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”(ESV) I pray brothers and sisters that you stay vigilant, seek truth and not opinion, and stand for something.

In our inaugural edition of the Three Patriots Podcast, we attempt to tackle the positions of the 2016 Presidential candidates. We address abortion, the national debt, poverty and wellness, Syrian refugees, and gay marriage. Come join us as we discuss each position from a Biblical standpoint. To watch the video that Jason discussed on late-term abortion, see the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgw4X7Dw_3k

Ben takes us into his “Small Business Corner” and addresses the topic of tax-free purchases online and how it is affecting small businesses.

Hello! and welcome to the Three Patriots website. We are excited to offer this blog as a compliment to our Podcast . We would love to hear back from you. Contact us on Facebook and Instagram or e-mail us at ThreePatriots@mail.com.